Live or Die?
by RDJLover1
Summary: My very first story. My friend CMNCISWriter3980 challenged me to a 'what if' for her favorite Criminal Minds Episode, Nameless Faceless. So I did and I don't know if it's any good or not. I'm not really much of a writer, just a reader. Here's the summary: What if Reid didn't get shot when he did. Nothing happened to Hotch in this story. So he's with the team solving the case.
1. Chapter 1

As Reid and Barton were walking out of Barton's house, Reid kept his hand on his gun. Prentiss had just called him moments earlier telling him what L.C meant. He then figured that the Unsub would be coming after Barton and not his son.

Reid called the rest of the team to update them on what was going on.

As soon as they where outside Reid saw the Unsub.

"Doctor," the Unsub called out.

Reid pushed Barton back into the house, took his gun out and said, "Freeze Meyers. Drop the weapon."

"He killed my son," Meyers replied as he tightened his grip around a gun and pulled the trigger.

Reid dodged the bullet and said, "He did not kill your son. Your son was killed by a car accident."

"Yes he did," Meyers stated.

"I'm going to ask you again, I do not want to shoot you, so please drop the gun," Reid ordered.

"He let my son die," Meyers cried.

"Mr. Meyers listen to me, it's over. Dr. Barton did not kill your son. Your son was killed by a car and this not what he would want. Ok? So drop the gun, please," Reid said.

Meyers wavered for a moment and lowered the gun in the process, but showed no intention of dropping it.

Reid took several steps closer and said, "Your son was killed in a car accident."

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER," Meyers yelled, raising his gun again.

"He didn't kill your son. Please drop the gun," Reid said, taking another step closer.

Meyers pulled the trigger again. This time Reid couldn't dodge the bullet in time. Reid fell to the ground and quickly placed his hands on his left side. He felt something warm flowing through his long fingers. He looked down at his hand and cringed at the sight of his own blood. He'd been shot. He didn't have time to worry about himself right now, and brought his focus to the matter at hand, stopping Meyers from killing Barton. He kept one hand on the gunshot wound as he reached for his gun with his free hand. By this time Meyers was headed to the front door.

Reid finally grabbed his gun. He turned, aimed it at Meyers and shot him in the back of the head. He then tossed his gun to the side and fell on his back. The force the gun had given off had drained any of his remaining energy. His hand that was on the wound, fell limply to his side. The blood now flowed freely without anything there to stop it

Barton came running out of the house, toward Reid. He knelt down next to him and placed both hands on Reid's side. A few seconds later police and the rest of the team pulled up.

One of the police officers radioed for the medics. The team ran over to Reid and Barton to see what was wrong.

JJ knelt down next to Reid, who was barely conscious. She grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it. Reid squeezed her hand in return. It was a weak squeeze, but it proved he was still alive.

Morgan bent down to pick up to Reid's gun then looked at Barton and asked, "What happened?"

Barton then explained what he saw happen behind the closed door. Just then an ambulance pulled up. Two medics got out and ran over to Reid.

"Step away, sir" one of the medics ordered Barton.

Barton did so. Within a few moments, Reid was being loaded into the ambulance and rushed the hospital.

Hotch turned and faced the rest of the team and said, "Morgan, JJ and Prentiss follow the ambulance to the hospital and call Garcia on the way and tell her what's going on. Rossi and I will stay here and talk to witnesses."

Morgan, JJ and Prentiss nodded, then headed over to the SUV, got in and followed the ambulance.


	2. Chapter 2

Three hours had passed since Reid went into surgery. Three hours had passed since he was shot. Three hours had passed since the team saw Reid, period.

The team was either sitting down or standing up as they waited to know about Reid.

JJ was sitting down in a chair in the corner of the waiting room. All she could think about was the squeeze Reid gave her. She could feel him losing the fight to live at that moment.

Garcia was sitting next to Morgan, holding his hand. Her cheeks were tear stained from crying for the first two and a half hours. When JJ called and told her what happened to Reid, she felt like someone just reached inside her and ripped out a part of her heart and ran it through a shredder.

Prentiss was sitting down in a chair trying to keep herself together. She kept thinking about what might have happened if she hadn't gone to get Hotch. Would Reid be perfectly fine? Would it have been her on the table now, instead of him? Why did this have to him, out of all people? All these questions ran through her mind.

Morgan sat next to Garcia, holding her hand, and trying to comfort her. Truth was, he couldn't. He, himself, was worried about Reid. He couldn't get the image of Reid laying there, with blood all over him. Morgan couldn't believe what had happened to Reid while he was just sitting there in the SUV, escorting Barton's son home.

Rossi was leaning against a wall. He couldn't help but replay what he saw earlier over and over again through his mind. Seeing Reid laying on the ground, Barton trying to stop the bleeding. JJ leaning down next to him and grabbing his hand then squeezing it. Barton telling them what had happened. Watching Reid get loaded into the ambulance and whisked away. Rossi couldn't help but feel sorry for everything that had happened. He just kept praying that the kid would make it.

Hotch was pacing back and forth the length of the waiting room. He kept thinking, that if he hadn't been sleeping in, than Prentiss wouldn't have had to come and get him. When he saw Reid laying there, barely even breathing, he felt like it was his fault. If he had been there with him, none of this would have happened.

* * *

Two hours later, a doctor walked in and said, "Spencer Reid."

"Yes," the team said in unison.

The ones who were sitting, were now standing up and gathering around the doctor along with the ones who were already standing.

"He's out of surgery and in the ICU. We almost lost him twice due to the amount of blood he lost. When the bullet hit him it fragmented into a lot of pieces. One of the pieces punctured his lung which was why he lost so much blood. We were able to remove all the fragments and repair the injuries. Which were all pretty much minor except for his lung. We expect him to make a full recovery," the doctor explained. "Any questions?"

"Is he awake yet," JJ asked.

"No, he is not. I don't think he will be for the next couple of days. Usually when someone undergoes a major surgery like he did and the state of his condition when it happened, the body will try to shut down so it can recover faster," the doctor explained.

"Will he be able to return to work when he's fully recovered," Hotch asked.

"It's to early to tell," the doctor replied.

"What's the recovery process going to be like for him," Morgan asked.

"Because of the location where he was shot, he won't be able to eat any kind of solid foods for about the next month or so," the doctor explained.

"Are we able to go see him," Garcia asked.

"Not until tomorrow morning and only a couple at a time for fifteen minutes each every hour," the doctor responded. "Anymore questions?"

No one said anything else. The doctor just nodded then turned and walked away.

Hotch looked at his team and said, "I want all of you to go home and get some rest. We all know we need it. It's been a long day today."

No one argued. They all just nodded then went back to where they were sitting and grabbed what stuff they had.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This might be the chapter I write for this story. If I feel inspired later on I might add more chapters, but until that happens, don't get your hopes up of seeing more chapters

* * *

The next day everyone met up at the hospital, early in the morning.

The team went up to Reid's room, two at a time. The first ones were, Hotch and Prentiss. When they got to Reid's room, the first thing they noticed was how ghostly pale he looked, from the blood loss. They stood in the doorway neither of them daring to take another step and just looked at him and talked in hushed tones.

The next two go up were, Garcia and Morgan, When they got to Reid's room, Garcia started to cry again when she saw Reid. Both of them went a few feet inside and didn't say anything.

The last two to go up were, Rossi and JJ. When they got to Reid's room, JJ choked back a sob when she saw Reid. JJ went over to his bedside and sat down in a nearby chair. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. To her surprise Reid squeezed her hand in return. It wasn't strong squeeze, but it also wasn't a weak one. Rossi just stood in the doorway the whole time listening to JJ talk to Reid in hushed tones. He wondered if there was part of the genius' brain that was somewhat conscious and could hear JJ.

* * *

Until visiting hours ended, the team kept taking turns visiting Reid. JJ was the only one that sat by him, talked to him and held his hand.

Just as JJ was about leave for the night, she squeezed his hand one last time. This time when he squeezed back, he squeezed harder than he had been doing all day. JJ stared at his closed eyes to see if they would open any, sadly they didn't.

She let go of his hand then headed toward the door and left.

* * *

The next day JJ sat with Reid again, talking to him and squeezing his hand once in a while.

Late in the afternoon everyone decided to go get something to eat. JJ stayed with Reid.

While JJ was talking to him in a soft tone, she noticed one of his eyes twitch a little bit. A few minutes later the other eye twitched. Soon both were twitching at the same time.

JJ was just about to go get a doctor, when she saw Reid open his eyes a little bit. JJ watched Reid open his eyes all the way then said, "Well look who's awake."

Reid turned and looked at her, confused and attempted to say something, but with his mouth feeling drier than the Vegas desert, it was hard to form words.

JJ grabbed a glass of water off of the table, by Reid's hospital bed and said, "Here, drink some water."

Reid drank some of the water then asked, "What did you mean you said, 'Look who's awake'?"

"Well you've been out of it for about forty-eight hours. So I meant it's a good thing your awake, now," JJ stated.

"Why have I been out that long," Reid asked.

"You don't remember getting shot," JJ asked concerned.

"I remember getting shot. I just don't remember anything after that for some reason," Reid replied.

"Let me just go get the doctor first, then I'll explain everything," JJ said

Reid just nodded. JJ then left to find the doctor and tell him that he was awake, most likely.

Reid looked around as he tried to remember what happened after he got shot. It scared him that he didn't remember something. He felt like there was important statistic that he knew, but it wasn't there anymore.

A few minutes later, JJ walked backed into the room with a man, Reid presumed was the doctor.

"Good to see that you're awake, Dr. Reid," the doctor said as he walked over to Reid.

The doctor checked Reid's heart rate and his blood pressure. The doctor then told Reid what happened during the surgery and the recovery process he would go through. After that the doctor wanted to know if he had any questions, which he didn't. Then the doctor left.

JJ sat down again and explained to Reid what happened after he was shot.

"That clears things up, some," Reid stated after JJ was done.

JJ took his hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze before she stood up and said, "Get some rest, Spence. You're going to need it."

Reid didn't bother arguing, he could already feel his eyes getting heavy. Before he fell asleep he looked at JJ and said, "Hey JJ?"

"Yeah Spence," JJ replied.

"How come you kept squeezing my hand," Reid asked.

"Because each time you squeezed mine in return," JJ explained with a smile, knowing that Reid's brain really was somewhat conscious while he was out of it and could know that it was her squeezing his hand.


End file.
